Last night I got an invite along to Auntie Flo's. She always makes me welcome most every time I goes, With lots of bread and butter and some winkles in a can. I caught a winkle on me 'ook and then the fun began.

I cried "I can't get me winkle out. Isn't it a sin? The more I try to get it out, the further it goes in. I can't get me winkle out. Isn't it a dour? I can't get it out with an old bent pin. Has anybody got a skewer?"

I went up to a woman outside a big hotel. She said "Young man, you look quite ill." I said "I feel quite well. But madam, I've a problem. Solve it if you can." I put me winkle in her hand and then the fun began.

I cried, etc.

There is a third verse where he gets arrested after this lady complains to the police.

As I was coming home to tea I thought I'd take some company Went into Old Mother Winkle's Bought myself a pennyworth of winkles Went on home to tea as happy as could be Went upstairs met all the family

They was picking all the big ones out Picking all the big ones out You should have seen my face full of wrinkles When I saw my pennyworth of winkles All the big ones gorn It made me rave and shout 'Cos there sat the wife and 7 kids Picking all the big ones out.

Singing, I can't get my winkle out with an old bent pin The more I tries to get it out the further it goes in I can't get my winkle out isn't it a do'er If I can't get it out with an old bent pin Has anyone here got a skewer?

I went to see my doctor at the behest of my wife, To get some pills to pep me up. He said, "Not on your life." He said, "You don't need tablets. Shellfish, I find, work well." But it didn't please my dear old wife, and it made my life pure 'ell.

CHORUS: Oh, I can't get my winkle out. Isn't it a sin? The more I try to get it out, the further it goes in. I can't get my winkle out. Isn't it a doer? I can't get my winkle out. Has anybody got a skewer?

My wife, who knows about these things, got all prepared for me, But I struggled and I panicked. I couldn't get it free. So she got all frustrated, and walked out without a sound. I said, "I'm trying my very best, but the damned thing's all curled round."

After she had calmed down, she put her arms round me. She said, "You're trying far too hard. Just caress it out, you see." And it worked with such great results, I celebrated with a drink, And then I had some for the road, and now what do you think?

Looks to me as if someone else could not find the original so wrote their own.

Ewan, yes it was The Partisan at 7 Carlisle Street which was later bought by journalist Nicholas Faith and on Saturday evenings from about September in 1961 became "The Sevendown" the venue for the Ballads and Blues Club. This was just after Ewan Macoll and Peggy Seeger left Ballads and Blues and went off to form the Singers Club.

Hi, I was just interested in old songs that i vaguely remember and this is version i recall:

Every sunday night we go to Auntie Flo's. She always makes us welcome as everybody knows, We have brown bread and butter and winkles in a can. She handed me the largest one and then the fun began(cor blimey)

"I can't get me winkle out. Isn't it a sin? The more I try to get it out, the further it goes in. I can't get me winkle out. Isn't it a do-er? I can't get my winkle out, anybody here got a skewer?"

The following link will take you to p 58 of "Gunner's Tales and Memories of WW2" by Caroline J Eddleston on which The Winkle Song appears. The footnote says the version presented was written by six serving soldiers in 1940.